Story highlights

Reports claim young American was abducted in 2004, but US government says no evidence

Parents have maintained he was kidnapped for years

(CNN)If true, it could be one of the most astonishing stories to ever emerge from North Korea.

A media report on Friday repeated claims that a 24-year-old American man was kidnapped in China in 2004 and taken to Pyongyang to work as an English tutor for current leader Kim Jong Un.

However, the US State Department says there is no evidence to confirm reports that missionary David Sneddon was seized while hiking in China's Yunnan province. CNN reached out to the North Korean embassy in Beijing, but our calls went unanswered.

"The embassy in Beijing ... has been in regular, ongoing contact with the local authorities since David Sneddon was reported missing ... We continue to closely monitor this matter and we continue to raise it with Chinese authorities," US State Department Spokesman John Kirby said.

Sneddon went missing near the Tiger Leaping Gorge, just over 12 years ago, and when investigators failed to find any trace of him, Chinese authorities suggested he may have fallen to his death.

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Korean high school students play on a beach at Wonsan, on September 11, 2017.

Hide Caption

1 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Bartender at the Rainbow floating restaurant in Pyongyang on September 10.

Hide Caption

2 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Sunday afternoon row boats on the Taedong River, Pyongyang, beside Juche Tower. Taken on September 10.

Hide Caption

3 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Participation in mass celebrations is mandatory for those privileged citizens allowed to live in the capital, Pyongyang. Taken on September 9.

Hide Caption

4 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Pyongyang residents walk past a poster marking the 69th DPRK Foundation Day on September 9. It reads "Let the entire world look up to the great Kim Il Sung nation and Kim Jong Il Korea."

Hide Caption

5 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

This statue in Samjiyon depicts North Korea's founding President Kim Il Sung when he was a guerrilla fighter against the Japanese. Taken on September 6.

Hide Caption

6 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The lobby of the CNN team's hotel in Samjiyon on September 5.

Hide Caption

7 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A bus driver who drives a Japanese vehicle over some of the bumpiest roads in North Korea. Taken on September 5.

Hide Caption

8 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Propaganda banners line the streets of Samjiyon on September 4.

Hide Caption

9 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Public transportation in rural North Korea, near the Chinese border, taken on September 4.

Hide Caption

10 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A young North Korean musician in the border town of Kaesong, taken on September 4. Music is a huge part of life in North Korea.

Hide Caption

11 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Korean tour guide at Mt Paektu outside the alleged birth place of Kim Jong Il, on September 3. Kim is widely considered to have been born in Russia.

Hide Caption

12 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Housing units deep in rural North Korea, near the border with China, taken on September 3.

Hide Caption

13 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A boy living in the mountainous northeastern border region on September 3, not far from North Korea's sixth nuclear test.

Hide Caption

14 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The view from the top of Mt Paektu on September 3, a sacred site to North Koreans close to the border with China. First time CNN has ever been allowed here.

Hide Caption

15 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The Mausoleum of Tangun is said to hold the remains of the ancient King Tangun -- widely considered a mythical figure.

North Korea built the pyramid in 1994 and has not allowed outside experts to verify the remains inside.

Hide Caption

16 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Sunset from inside Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on August 31.

Hide Caption

17 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The crowd applauds as North Korean TV airs footage of their latest missile launch outside Pyongyang Station on August 30, 2017.

Hide Caption

18 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The parents in North Korea of an inadvertent defector react to a video message, shared by CNN's Will Ripley, from their daughter, who lives in South Korea and cannot return home. The family hasn't been together in years.

Hide Caption

19 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

May Day celebrations are held on May 1 in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

20 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A North Korean boy sits in his family's living room on April 30 in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

21 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Koreans in Pyongyang celebrate the country's 85th annual Army Day on April 25. The holiday celebrates the founding of its army.

Hide Caption

22 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A North Korea veteran stands against the backdrop of the USS Pueblo, a US Navy ship that North Korea captured in 1968. CNN's Will Ripley‪ asked this veteran about his thoughts on the USS Carl Vinson, an American aircraft carrier conducting joint drills with two Japanese destroyers in the western Pacific Ocean. The veteran told Ripley, "We can sink that aircraft carrier."

Hide Caption

23 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Ripley noted that in Pyongyang, children are often seen dressed in bright, colorful clothing, contrasting with the more conservative and darker outfits worn by many adults.

North Koreans celebrate the birthday of Kim Il Sung. He would have been 105.

Hide Caption

26 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Tanks roll through Kim Il Sung Square on April 15.

Hide Caption

27 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Korean air force jets fly over the Pyongyang celebration.

Hide Caption

28 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears at a ceremony to formally open a housing development in Pyongyang on April 13. The project was rushed to completion in under a year, North Korean officials say.

Hide Caption

29 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Koreans gather to witness the opening of the Ryomyong Street housing development.

Hide Caption

30 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Foreign journalists are filmed by North Korean media during the Ryomyong Street event.

Hide Caption

31 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Soldiers leave the opening ceremony of the Ryomyong Street development.

Hide Caption

32 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Koreans observe a statue of their founder, Kim Il Sung, at the Museum of the Korean Revolution on April 10. CNN's Will Ripley said it was the first time CNN cameras had been allowed into the Pyongyang museum.

Hide Caption

33 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Koreans pose on April 9, for a photo at Mangyongdae, the birthplace of Kim Il Sung.

Hide Caption

34 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Boys in Pyongyang pose for a photo at a secondary school for orphans on February 19.

Hide Caption

35 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A tiger is seen at a zoo in Pyongyang on February 19. CNN's Will Ripley, Tim Schwarz and Justin Robertson were the only Western broadcasters reporting from North Korea after it conducted a ballistic missile test on February 12. See their dispatches.

Hide Caption

36 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

CNN's Will Ripley posted this photo of the Pyongyang skyline on February 17. "Note the 105-story pyramid skyscraper, the Ryugyong Hotel. Work began in 1987. Still unfinished," Ripley said in his Instagram post.

Hide Caption

37 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Korean soldiers ride on February 17, in a black Mercedes-Benz on the streets of Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

38 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A 70-story apartment building undergoes construction on February 17.

Hide Caption

39 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The floating Rainbow Restaurant is seen in Pyongyang on February 17.

Hide Caption

40 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Korean soldiers watch fireworks on February 16, in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

41 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

People use smartphones on on February 16, to take photos of an ice sculpture in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

42 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A soldier stands guard in North Korea on February 16. While military service for women has long been voluntary, it reportedly was made mandatory recently in a bid to bolster the armed forces.

Hide Caption

43 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A boy visits the Kimjongilia flower show on February 16. The red flowers are named after the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

Hide Caption

44 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

University students dance in front of the Pyongyang indoor stadium on February 16.

Hide Caption

45 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Book titles are listed in English at a bookshop for tourists in the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

46 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Ice flows down the Taedong River in Pyongyang on February 16.

Hide Caption

47 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Soldiers pay respects to former North Korean leaders on February 15. The site is considered one of the most sacred in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

48 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Vendors sell flowers February 15 to mourners paying their respects to deceased leaders of North Korea.

Hide Caption

49 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The view over the frozen Taedong River shows residential areas of Pyongyang on February 15.

Hide Caption

50 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The symbol of North Korea's sole political party, the Korean Workers' Party, can be seen atop a government building in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

51 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Taxis are becoming more prevalent on the streets of Pyongyang. Most commuters still ride buses.

Hide Caption

52 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Tour guides told CNN's crew that "in 1948, Kim Il Sung, his wife and his then 7-year-old son, Kim Jong Il, test fired North Korea's first domestically manufactured submachine gun," Tim Schwartz said on Instagram. The guides said that all three shot bullseyes at 50 meters.

Hide Caption

53 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The Man Gyong Dae School Children's Palace, shown in May 2016, is an after-school activity complex in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

54 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Young singers practice their performance at a "children's palace" in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

55 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Children play volleyball at an after-school center in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

56 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

An Olympic-sized swimming pool is a focal point of a "children's palace" after-school center in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

57 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Pyongyang prepares in 2016 for the Workers' Party of Korea congress, the first such meeting since 1980. The event aimed to consolidate Kim Jong Un's power in the regime.

Farm manager Kim Myong Jon is something of a celebrity in North Korea. During the past 40 years, she's met with all three North Korean leaders.

Hide Caption

69 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The farm where Kim Myong Jon works is home to one of North Korea's first greenhouses. It was first visited by Kim Il Sung more than three decades ago, and more recently by his grandson, current leader Kim Jong Un.

Hide Caption

70 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Chili peppers lie in the sun at the Jang Chon farm. Peppers are used for making kimchi, the fermented cabbage dish that is a staple of the North Korean diet.

The futuristic space center is in a residential area not far from the center of Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

73 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Two officials walk in the grounds of the space facility. NADA officials told CNN that they had prepared multiple satellites and were in the "final stages of perfecting all operations."

Hide Caption

74 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Hula hoop diplomacy at a North Korean dolphinarium. CNN video journalist Brad Olson was called on stage to show how it's done."I managed to get three going, much to the delight of the crowd," he said.

Hide Caption

75 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

In May 2015, CNN was given rare access to a faculty apartment in an upscale area of Pyongyang, near Kim Il Sung University. The lounge was neat, if a little dated.

Hide Caption

76 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

This is the master bedroom of the three-bedroom apartment. A university professor lives in the home with his adult children. It's 200 square meters (about 2,150 square feet). That's large for an apartment in Pyongyang.

Hide Caption

77 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

A flat-screen television sits prominently in the lounge.

Hide Caption

78 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Books are neatly lined up above a desk in the study. There's a lamp for reading and a large padded chair.

Hide Caption

79 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Every home in North Korea displays portraits of late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Housing is assigned by the government and is free. Those who want to move have to sign up to exchange places with other citizens.

Hide Caption

80 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The kitchen features a double sink and brushed metal counter tops.

Hide Caption

81 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The kitchen is fitted with a Haier two-burner gas hob. Haier, based in Qingdao, China, is one of the world's biggest home appliance companies.

Hide Caption

82 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

First-graders in a Pyongyang classroom are orderly yet energetic, often standing and giving spirited answers to their teacher's questions.

Hide Caption

83 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

North Korean students watch riding lessons at a new equestrian center designed by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. The facility was formerly used for military training.

Hide Caption

84 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Outdoor exercise accompanied by upbeat music is a daily routine for these North Korean middle school students. Classes are critiqued on their coordination.

Hide Caption

85 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Young children in a newly constructed Pyongyang orphanage practice a musical performance.

Hide Caption

86 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The orphanage features a pool area for the children, who live and study in the complex.

Hide Caption

87 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Young boys practice a drum routine that they will perform during International Children's Day.

North Korea displays the armistice agreement that brought the brutal fighting of the Korean War to an end in 1953.

Hide Caption

92 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Junior Lt. Col. Nam Dong Ho is part of North Korea's standing army of more than a million.

Hide Caption

93 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Pyongyang women wear their Sunday best -- and carry ornate umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.

Hide Caption

94 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Twin statues honor the late leaders of North Korea, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Visitors to Pyongyang are routinely taken to pay their respects and lay flowers at the monument.

Hide Caption

95 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Kim Jong Un personally inspected the plans for this new water park and had his top officials test the water slides for safety.

Hide Caption

96 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Visitors to a Pyongyang water park play table tennis.

Hide Caption

97 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

The Pyongyang Gold Lane, a bowling alley in the North Korean capital, is popular among young people.

Hide Caption

98 of 101

Photos:Inside North Korea

Pyongyang Airport is the first stop on tours of North Korea. Air Koryo is the national airline. It operates direct flights from Beijing and Shenyang in China, and Vladivostok in Russia. Air Koryo has an aging fleet, although it has purchased some newer aircraft in recent years.

The inflight meal consists of a burger and a glass of North Korean beer.

Hide Caption

101 of 101

Read More

'Help us bring David home'

Roy and Kathleen Sneddon have been searching for their son for more than a decade, including trips to China and petitions to the United States congress, according to their website www.helpfinddavid.com.

"Try to imagine Kathleen and my frustration and anxiety as we seek further information about our son," Roy wrote in a blog post on August 25.

James and Roy Sneddon searching for David in Yunnan in 2004.

"Our goal is to ensure that the US government does everything possible to investigate his likely abduction and secure his safe return to the US."

According to his parents' website, Sneddon spoke fluent Korean as well as some Mandarin.

He had been working in Seoul, South Korea as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In May 2012 they posted a blog entry titled, "Was David abducted by DPRK (North Korea)? You decide..."